JimR915

Hi Tom, Can you please send the document to me. russell915@gmail.com thank you jim

There are a lot of reasons not to drink soda (diet or otherwise), as pointed out by othere here. The pouch stretching thing is debunked more often than confirmed from sources that I read. I'm no authority, but I've gone as far as talking with 3 or 4 bariatric surgeons, my dietician, and the nutritionist at the hospital when I had my band replaced. I was concerned about another slip, so I asked them about carbonation. All of them stated that no amount of carbonation would cause permanent stretching or a slip. Take it for what it's worth.

Good to hear you are back on track Bayougirl. It certainly is a struggle. Liquid diet with nothing in your band is the worst. Start mushies on Saturday.! That's when I'll have to make sure I listen to my band and stay on the straight and narrow. Funny how easy it is to revert back to old habits if you're not careful.

I don't want to frighten you, but you may want to ask your doctor about a slip, or at least suggest to him to do an upper GI to check. I just had my band removed and a new one put in because of a slip. I was too tight for months, throwing up/PB'ing after nearly every meal, no bile. After a while, I could eat larger portions faster. It was a subtle change that I hardly noticed....but because I was throwing up, I justified it as the only way to get the nutrients into my body that I needed. AND...besides, I was loosing weight at the same time. It felt good. Over time, however, I began having problems with even liquids getting stuck. I asked my doctor about it and got into a cycle of several months of fills and unfills. In hindsight, I wish I had been more forceful with my doctor about ordering an upper GI sooner. If caught soon, a slip can often be corrected without surgery. Slips are rare, but from what I learned, they happen and its better to be safe than sorry. Good luck to you!

I am in that stage after having my band removed and re-installed (following a slip). Not a lot of good options out there unfortunately. For me, I try to vary my tastes as much during a meal as possible: Strained tomato soup (there are some good gourmet choices out there....just make sure there are no chunks) Protein Drink (I like the GNC Lean Shake....low cal, lactose free, 170 cals., and 25g protien) Flavored sugar-free Jello Wish there were more options out there....but thankfully, this phase only lasts for a week or 2

I have these types of exchanges with family and friends all the time, with and without my wife present. It honestly makes me feel good, and my wife and I are secure enough in our marriage that we treat it as the hogwash that it is. If my wife is present, I'll sometimes joke that she married way below her station, and this is just my way of catching up a little. Probably more truth to that than even I want to admit Put it into perspective, enjoy the compliments, and just make sure that your husband is secure in knowing what you posted here. Good luck to you!

Very helpful. Thank you for posting.

Just a quick update. I had surgery to replace my band on Friday, 12/21 (supposed Doomsday.... ). Everything went well. I stayed at the hospital overnight and was released early Saturday. So far, recovery seems easier than the first time around. Some pain, but not the bad shoulder pain that I had the first time around. Perhaps part of it was that I knew what to expect. The hardest part is returning to "banders hell" over Christmas with all of the great foods around. liquids only this week and then onto mushys. The good news is that I have already lost 10 lbs of the almost 20 that I gained while unbanded. Truth be told, I wasn't overly tempted anyway. One thing that I learned while without my band is that I have adjusted mentally to this lifestyle.... I kept portion sizes small and, with a few exceptions, ate food that was good for me. Thanks again to all that wished me well.

Thanks All for the well wishes. I can't say that I've been the poster child for the perfect bandster, but 120lbs lost and my williingness to continue the band lifestyle has to speak somewhat to my commitment. Having a little "fun" is a relative thing in my world. I wasn't swallowing down Subway footlongs and dripping cheeseburgers for sure. What I'll do better this time around is to listen to my band. When it tells me that I'm too tight, I won't suffer through the stuck episodes and PB'ing/vomiting hoping it will get better or loosen up. I'll be quicker to get the unfill. Thanks again and Happy Holidays to you all!!!

Well, tomorrow is the day. After being diagnosed with a slipped band right after thanksgiving and having surgery to remove it, I am finally scheduled to have my band put back in. Tomorrow is the day. I can't wait. I did really well with controlling my portions. At least up until last week when I decided to have a little "fun" before getting the band put back in. I gained about 15lbs back very quickly, but then leveled off. I attribute that to being totally dehydrated and malnurished due to the slipped band. It's surprising to me how many people asked me why I was putting the band back in. They feel like since I already lost all of my weight I should just try to go without out it. I explained to them that, for the first time in my life, I found a tool that helped me lose the weight and keep it off. Why would I want to give that up? I'll post how everything goes tomorrow. Happy Holiday's everyone!

Thank you for the well wishes. And I hope I can provide insight for people who are wondering about band slippage and perhaps prevent it from happening to others. While I don't know for sure, all indications are that my insurance company will pay to have the band put back in. Assuming that happens in the next week or so, I am hoping to have the surgery before the end of the year. That way, I won't have to satisfy a second deductable.

CONGRATULATIONS on your 1 year anniversary. 96lbs lost is a tremendous achievement! Keep up the great work.

Almost a week since my band was removed from having slipped and I am having the worst time trying to stick to small portions, and the right foods. Don't get me wrong, I'm not pigging out on cheeseburgers or anything. Just find that my portions are definitely getting larger. I've gained about 12 lbs since having my band out. Most of that was from rehydrating since it had been some time since I could eat or drink anything of substance. I can't wait until I get my new surgery date to have the band put back in. This time, I'm going to listen a little closer to my body and pay more attention to how tight the band is, and make adjustments when I sense something isn't right.

I was sometimes frustrated that no one, including my surgeon, came out and just said "do this" or "do that" Band vs. sleeve vs. bypass. They all pretty much left it up to me. But I understand now why they did this. There is no right or wrong answer for any individual. It is a personal choice and a personal comfort level with one over the other. I agree with previous posters on this. I went band figuring I would do the least intrusive, and keep the sleeve/bypass as an option if the band didn't work. My band slipped, but I attribute it to things that I did to cause it (being too tight, not handling the issue sooner). But I am still going back to the band as soon as my insurance company gives me the ok to have it put back in.